Kennedy, Korea, And The Midterms

The Republicans and President Trump suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of a young upstart Democrat in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District. Democrat Conor Lamb won by a razor thin margin over a long serving state lawmaker for a variety of reasons. Lamb is a conservative who is pro-life and pro-gun and is a long way from the national Democratic Party that has been veering hard left for awhile.

But make no mistake this should serve as a loud and clear warning to the Republican Party as we head toward the 2018 Mid-term elections. Republicans could be on the receiving end of a political beating if this race is any indication of the pulse of America.

There are some very big things swirling around, however that could radically change the direction of this race and again in 2020. I am not even talking about the economy and taxes. Some events are big enough to swing an entire electorate.

The first is the pending summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. It marks the first time a sitting United States President will meet the leader of the Hermit Kingdom. The odds may be long, but if President Trump can pull off an agreement that begins to de-nuclearize the Korean Peninsula he should be applauded for that. In fact, if it happens the President should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Keep an eye on this huge developing story.

The second major boost to the President and Republicans in the midterms is the possibility of Justice Anthony Kennedy stepping down from the Supreme Court. The rumors of his departure are growing louder by the day. If that happens Trump will undoubtedly select another high test conservative for the vacancy. This will energize Republican supporters across the nation and push a lot of people to the polls under the law and order banner.

If those two things come to pass and the economy remains strong the Democrats could see their early advantage vanish altogether.